Unearthed High is back to find Australia’s best high school aged musical act

Wednesday 12 June, 2019

Over the past twelve years, triple j’s Unearthed High competition has introduced some of the country’s brightest musical stars, all before they’ve graduated year 12, and entries are now open until midnight 29th July.

Artists like Arno Faraji, Tia Gostelow, Gretta Ray, Japanese Wallpaper and 2018’s winner KIAN, who uploaded his song ‘Waiting’ to Unearthed High without realising how it would shape the next 12 months of his life.

Since then, the Victorian teen has released his debut EP ‘BLISS’, performed at major Australian festivals, travelled overseas and signed a record deal.

KIAN says “Winning Unearthed High 100% sparked a major change in my life. The day I found out I had won I was feeling a lot of things. Excitement, happiness, wonder, embarrassment (because I got pranked at my school) … But I also felt as though something happened, a piece of my puzzle that is life clicked into place and I felt the beginning of something that was going to impact my life forever.”

The winner will be flown to triple j to record, mix or master their music, which will be played on triple j and triple j Unearthed. They’ll also receive music industry advice and triple j might even visit their school.

The best Unearthed High entry from an Indigenous artist, as well as being eligible for the major prize, will win a songwriting workshop at their school by the APRA AMCOS Songmakers program and ongoing mentorship from the Association of Artist Managers (AAM).

Over the next few months, the best entries will be played nationwide on triple j and triple j Unearthed.